Novato Begins Process to Shift to District-Based City Council

The City is engaged in a process to change the way that City Councilmembers are elected by transitioning to a district-based election system--and we want your input!

Currently, all five Councilmembers, including the Mayor, are elected at-large. This means that all registered voters who reside in Novato have the opportunity to vote for all five City Council positions. District-based elections would divide the City into geographic districts, and Councilmembers will be required to live in the district that they represent and elected only by registered voters of that district.

Join us at the following City Council Public Hearings on Tuesdays at Novato City Hall (901 Sherman Avenue) to help develop Novato's voting districts:

March 26, 2019 at 6pm
Public Hearing #1Composition of the districts

April 9, 2019 at 6pm
Public Hearing #2Composition of the districts

April 23, 2019 at 6pm
Public Hearing #3Content of the draft map(s) and the proposed sequence of elections

May 14, 2019 at 6pm
Public Hearing #4
Content of the draft map(s) and the proposed sequence of elections

May 21, 2019 at 6pm
Public Hearing #5Ordinance Adoption

In February 2019, the City received a letter from an attorney, alleging the City's method of electing councilmembers "at-large", as opposed to "by district", violated the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).

On March 12, 2019, the City Council adopted a resolution outlining its intention to transition from at-large to district-based elections, which includes specific steps the City will undertake to facilitate the transition, and an estimated timeframe for doing so.